Roxon to bring in laws for gender bias

DISCRIMINATION on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity would be outlawed nationally under a proposed overhaul of federal discrimination laws to be unveiled on Tuesday.

The federal Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, and Minister for Finance, Penny Wong, will release draft laws which consolidate, harmonise and simplify the five existing federal discrimination laws.

Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity would be specifically banned for the first time at the national level, delivering on a 2010 Labor election commitment.

While state laws contain protections against discrimination on the basis of sexuality, no such protections exist federally.

An exemption which currently allows faith-based aged care providers to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity would be removed, but other religious exemptions would continue.

The convener of the ageing and aged care working group of the National Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex health alliance, Corey Irlam, said the change was ''long overdue and very welcome''.

The convener of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, Anna Brown, said the proposals would build on more limited protections already available at the state level, by making discrimination on the basis of sexuality illegal in all areas of public life, including goods and services, employment and schools.